Saed Hindash/The Star-LedgerFormer Nets forward Damion James has signed a free agent deal with the Atlanta Hawks, his agent said.

Former Net Damion James has signed a one-year, free agent contract with the Atlanta Hawks, his agent said yesterday, confirming a report by Yahoo Sports. James, 24, had his two years with the Nets ruined by injuries and the team allowed him to be a free agent after last season.

Mark Bartelstein, James' agent, said the 6-7 James is "completely healthy'' now after having undergone multiple surgeries to correct a broken right foot initially suffered in the first game he started for the Nets in December, 2010. James had surgery to insert a screw into the foot and eventually returned to play near the end of that season. But the foot kept giving him problems and he was unable to finish the season. In the offseason, James opted not to have further surgery on his foot, and when the 2011-12 season started, he was the Nets' starting small forward.

But in the seventh game of the season, he re-injured the foot, and he eventually required season-ending surgery. He averaged 4.9 points and 4.7 rebounds in his seven games, and for his two-year NBA career, he averaged 4.5 points and 3.7 rebounds in 32 games, 16 starts.

Bartelstein said he and Nets GM Billy King did talk over the summer about the possibility of James returning to the Nets, but, "it kind of wasn't meant to be right now.''

"He's going to be a terrific NBA player,'' Bartelstein said. "He'll fit right in with Atlanta. Hopefully, this'll be a turning point for him in his career.''

In joining the rebuilding Hawks, James will be reuniting with several former teammates from New Jersey: Anthony Morrow, Johan Petro and DeShawn Stevenson were traded to Atlanta by the Nets as part of the deal to acquire shooting guard Joe Johnson. And point guard Devin Harris, who was traded by the Nets in February, 2011 to Utah for Deron Williams, is on the Hawks' roster, as well, having been traded by the Jazz to the Hawks in July, in exchange for Marvin Williams.